Device for tightening wires and twisting their ends together



F-. S. JULIUS July 13 1926.

DEVICE FQR TIGHTENING WIRES AND TWISTING THEIR ENDS TOGETHER Filed August 17 1925 INVENTOR WITNESSES wig/W Patented July 13, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

rnannarcls. JULIUS, or EvAN s'roN, ILLINOIS.

Application filed August 17 1925. Serial No. 50,559.

This invention relates to a tightening and twisting device, and particularly one which is adapted for use with wires or rodscustomarily employed in connection with concrete forms for foundations, walls, and similar structures, as well as in connection with structural members of buildings.

It is an object of the invention to provide a convenient and highly efficient device for tightening and twisting together the ends of wires or rods generally, and one in which both the tightening and the twisting may be simultaneously efiected.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a device of the character referred to which is sturdy in construction, easy to ma-.

nipulate, which will not readily get out of order, and which can be easily engaged and disengaged from the Wires or rods being operated upon.

It is a special object to provide a devicewhich will enable a workman to eifectively tighten the wires or rods to any extent desired through the pressure of one hand upon 'the main body or handle of the device while leaving the other hand entirely free for bringing about the twisting of their ends.

It is also a special object to provide a device for the purpose noted, having anelongated body serving as a lever for tightening the wires or rods equipped with an especially shaped fulcrum foot intermediate its ends tending to steady the device during use,

and also e uipped at its extremity with a pair of roc ing gripping jaws so mounted as to assure their proper relative disposition regardless of the variations in the position of the device, whereby to accommodate .it .to different characters of work.

These and other objects of the invention will more fully appear when taken in conjunction with the following description and the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the method of supporting the improved tightening and twisting device and the manner in which the ends of the wires or rods are gripped between the gripping jaws; Fig. 2 an end elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1'; Fig. 3 an enlarged fragmentary detailed View showing the structure of the supporting frame carried by the rotatable shaft, together with the manner of rockably supporting the gripping jaws therein; Fi 4 aside elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 3;. and Fig. 5 an elevational view of the same parts looking towards the ends of the gripping jaws, and illustrating the method by which the jaws are normally positioned within the supportmg frame.

Referring to the drawings, thebody of the device is designated at 1, the said body being elongated, and one end of which is fashioned in the shape of a handle which is adapted to be gripped in the hand of the operator. Depending from a point intermediate the ends of the body, and preferably formed integral therewith, is a depending fulcrum foot 2, the base 3 of which is of considerable width and is provided with.

a fiat bottom face as clearly indicated at 4, in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Journalled for rotative movement in the body, and located adjacent the end thereof at one side of the fulcrum foot is a shaft 5 having fixed to its. upper end a pinion 6, and at its lower extremity a supporting frame designated generally in the drawings by the numeral 7. This frame comprises a ring or annulus 8 which is ada ted to embrace the lower end of the sha t 6, and is.

locked thereto by the transversely extending pin 9 which extends through both the annulus 8 and the shaft 5. Preferably formed integrally therewith and depending from the annulus 8 are two pairs of curved iin ers 10, 10, and 11, 11'. Mounted for roe ing movement on the pair of fingers 10, 10, is a' gripping 'aw 12 having its inner face slightly curve and serrated as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 5 of the drawings, and provided at the lower ortion of its outer face with two pairs 0 spacedapart lugs indicated at 13., 13', respectively, these lugs are perforated as well as the lower extremities of the fingers 10, 10, and serve as a means for rockably supporting the jaw within the frame 7. Cooperating with the jaw 12 and positioned opposite thereto is a similar gripping jaw 14 rockably supported within the frame in a'similar manner, being pivoted to the lower extremities of the fingers 11,

' 1]. For thepurpose of resiliently urging the upper portiops of the jawstoward-each other, the opposite ends of a coiled spring 15 are attached to projections 16 and 17 extending upwardly from. the respective jaws.

A spindle 18 is anchored in the body 1 at one side of the shaft 5, and has journal'ed thereon the gear 19 which meshes with the pinion 6. Attached in any suitable manner to the gear 19 is an actuating handle 20 be gripped thereby. This illustration hasbeen made merely for the purpose of more clearly depicting the manner in which the.

invention is used.

In use, the ends of the wires or rods to be operated upon, are projected between the serrated faces of the gripping jaws in the manner clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, an efiective gripping action being maintained upon the wires during an upward pull upon the aws, as will be obvious from an inspection of the drawings.

In order to tighten the rods or wires, it is merely necessary for the operator, who grips the handle portion of the body in one hand, to ressfdownwardly thereupon with suflicient orce to tighten or stretch the wires to any desired extent. This is brought about due to the fulcrum provided by the depending fulcrum foot 2-3, downward pmssille upon the handle portion shown at the left hand side of Fi 1 causing the gripping jaws to be lifte upwardly or awa from the beam 22. After the wires or ro s have been tightened to the extent desired, the crank handle 20 is turned by the operator who grips it with his other hand so as to rotate the shaft 5. Rotation of shaft 5, in turn, causes a bodily rotation of the pair of gripping. 'aws 12 and 1a which results in twisting t e free ends of the wires together in an obvious fashion. After the twisting of the ends has been accomplished, the wires may be readily re leased from the jaws b lifting slightly upwardly upon the ban le of the device, supplemented by a slight pressure upwardly upon the bottom faces of the gripping jaws.

It is noted that the bottom face 4 of the base 3 of the fulcrum foot is of considerable width, as viewed in Fig. 2, and con tacts the, beam- 22 throughout a substantial extent. This produces a steadying action preventing the device from tilting sidewise during its use, and enabling the operator to easily balance the device under varying conditions found in actual practice. Attention is also directed to the presence of the spring 15 for urging the upper portions of the gripping jaws toward each other, not only assisting in assuring a more satisfactory gripping action upon the wires or rods, but also serving to positively maintain the desired disposition of the jaws within the sup porting frame regardless of the position of the device during use.

It is thus seen that the invention provides a ve sturdy, efiicient, and convenient tool for slmultaneously tightening and twisting wires or rods, both the tightening andtwisting action being constantly under the control of the operator. Although the invention has been illustrated in connection with but a single form of beam or building element,

it is contemplated using the invention generally for the tightening and twisting of rods or wires in any analogous situation.

As required by the patent statutes, the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail. It is obvious, however, that many changes may be made both in structural details and in the arrangement of the several parts without dearting from the spirit of the invention.

t is therefore not intended to limit the invention beyond that particularly defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tension and twisting device comprising a fulcrum lever one end of which constitutes a handle, a work spindle journalled for rotation in the other end of said lever, a manually operated gear drive for actuating said spindle, a forked bracket secured to said spindle and adapted to rotate therewith, and a pair of gripping members pivotally mounted on said bracket.

2. A tension and twisting device comprising a fulcrum lever one end of which con- 'stitutes a handle, a work spindle journalled for rotation in the other end ofsaid lever, a manually operated gear drive for actuating said spindle, a forked bracket secured to said s indle and adapted to rotate therewith, an a pair of serrated gripping members pivotally mounted on said bracket in such manner that their cooperating gripping faces are normally engaged.

In testimony whereof I sign my name.

FREDERIC S. JULIUS. 

